MONTENEGRO

I first went to Montenegro in 2007, as part of a round trip including Dubrovnik and Mostar. The mountains that form the backdrop to much of this side of the Adriatic coastline are arguably at their most magnificent in Montenegro and the Bay of Kotor, southern Europe's largest fjord, is where they surround you on all sides. As the bay is almost cut off from the sea, but for a channel less than a kilometre wide, the water is always calm and fabulous for swimming, boating or just watching the sun go down. The height of the surrounding mountains also makes for some incredible summer thunder storms. Prcanj and Perast are two villages well worth looking at for accommodation in the Bay of Kotor...

---